Israeli Actress Caroline Langford Dies at 68 After Long Illness

Caroline Langford, a prominent Israeli actress, passed away on Friday at the age of 68 following a battle with a serious illness. Born in London in 1958 to Barry Langford, a BBC director and impresario, her family immigrated to Israel in 1972 when she was 14. Langford's breakthrough came in 1980 with her role in the Israeli comedy film "Smile, You’re Dead" alongside Yehuda Barkin and Yigal Shilon, and she was also cast in a leading role by Assi Dayan in "King for a Day." Throughout the 1980s, she became one of Israel’s busiest actresses, appearing in films such as "Dad’s Madness," "Am Yisrael Chai," "Testimony of Rape," "Girls," and the comedies "See You Around" and "See You at the Beach."

Langford’s personal life was closely linked to Assi Dayan, whom she met on the set of "King for a Day." They married in 1982 and had a son, Lior Dayan, in 1983. The couple divorced after two years, and their son was placed in foster care at Kibbutz Dvir. Langford later spoke openly about her struggles with postpartum depression. She subsequently moved to London and then New York, where she married her second husband, Michael, and had a daughter, Daniela. After their separation, she returned to Israel before settling in Los Angeles.

Langford supported her son Lior through a two-year drug rehabilitation program in the United States. In recent years, she appeared in Israeli TV series such as "My Successful Sisters" on yes and "Normal" on HOT, the latter based on her son’s life. In 2023, she published a novel titled "Walking on Eggshells." She is survived by her third husband, Gil Bakenstein, and her two children. The date of her funeral has not yet been announced.